Bill fold clip



March 19, 1957 Filed May 25, 1953 C. A. ANDERSON BILL FOLD 01.1.?

FIG. I

W FIG. 6

/6 /4 502/ 5 3 622? 3 EDA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5

IN V EN TOR.

CARL A.- ANDERSON ATTORNEY 4 March f9, 1957 c. A. ANDERSON 2,785,722

BILL FOLD CLIP Filed May 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 9

a R k4 I w X XXXX 1/ J? n I I! ll FIG. I2

INVENTOR.

CARL A.ANDERSON ATTORN EY United States Patent BILL FOLD CLIP Carl Ab Anderson, Cranston, R. I., assignor to Anson, Inc., Providence, R. L, a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 25, 1953, Serial No. 357,253

4 Claims. (Cl. 15038) This invention relates to improvements in bill fold clips and more particularly to the mechanical means which position the clip in open or closed position.

An object of the present invention is to provide mechanical means of a simple, inexpensive, foolproof and compact construction for retaining bills in a prearranged order and then be able to remove any single bill without disturbing the arrangement or order of the remaining bills.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unique detent type mechanical arrangement which will yieldingly hold the bill fold clip in selected position.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent in part and be pointed out in part in the following specification and claims.

This invention is an improvement over United States Patent a t-2,597,967, issued May 27, 1952, and Canadian Patent #487,001, issued October 7, 1952, for a bill fold.

The present invention differs from the patents cited in that the spring, the parts actuated by the spring and the housing holding the spring and associated parts form a detent construction.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a bill fold containing the new and improved bill fold clip.

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view in section of the bill fold clip, with the clamp shown in full lines in closed position and the clamp shown in dot and dash lines in open position.

Figure 4 is a left hand end view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing a modified form of spring control of the bill fold clip.

Figure 6 is a side view in section of a modified form of the bill fold clip showing two clamps instead of one clamp.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary'plan view of one of the ears usedfor securing the housing to the body.

Figure 8 is a right hand end View of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of a bill fold containing still another modified form of bill fold clip.

Figure 10 is an end view of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a side view in section of the bill fold clip with the clamp shown in closed position in full lines and shown in open position in dot and dash lines.

Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 1212 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is an end view of the hinge showing the pocket for retaining the bill fold clamp in position at the hinge.

Figure 14 is a plan view of Figure 13.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the improved bill fold clip consists of a bill fold 10 generally fabricated from leather and folded to form a U-shaped bend in which is secured the bill fold clip assembly 11. This arrangement is well known in the art.

The bill fold clip assembly 11 consists of a housing 12 generally U-shaped, see Figures 2 and 4. A body 13 shaped to be accommodated in the U of housing 12, is

2,785,722 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 undercut to provide an end wall 14 and an'underside 15. Two sets of ears 16 and 17 are formed in housing 12 and they secure body 13 in position within housing 12. A plunger 18 is slidably mounted in the chamber 20 formed in the undercut between underside 15 and housing 12. Body 13 is shorter in length than housing 12 so that housing 12 extends beyond end 21, thereby providing an area in which the projection 22 of plunger 18 may freely slide. Projection 22 is'provided with a face 23.

A single clamp 24 is pivotally mounted by means of pin 25 in housing 12 with the cam surface 26 on finger 24 abutting face 23. Clamp 24 is preferably ornamental in shape having a knob 27 and finger grip 28 for utility purposes. A coil spring 30 is located in chamber 20 between end wall 14 and side 31 of plunger 18.

In operation, clamp 24 is yieldingly held against surface 32 of body 13 by means of plunger 18, under the influence of spring 30, acting against cam surface 26.

Figure 6 depicts a modified form of Figure 3 in that two fingers 24 and 24A are employed in place of one finger 24. In effect Figure 3 is merely reduced in size to provide two spring actuated plungers 18, 18A in place of one spring actuated plunger 18. Housing 12 is provided with opposite ends similarly constructed. Body 13 has two undercuts instead of one, leaving a wall 33 for the springs 30 and 30A to abut. The two plungers 18 and 18A are slidably mounted in chambers 20, 20A, respectively. The operation of the mechanism is the same for Figure 6 as for Figure 3 except that two fingers 24, 24A rest on surface 32 instead of one finger 24.

Figure 5 shows a further modified form of spring control of clamp 24. In place of plunger 18, spring 30 and body 13, housing 12 may be solid or tubular as long as one end or both ends, as the case may be, is provided with a U-shaped chamber 42 housing a pin 25 upon which is pivoted clamp 24. A spiral spring is mounted around pin 25 with one end secured to pin 25 and the other end secured to clamp 24. Thus clamp 24 is yieldingly held in selected position.

In all constructions as shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6, fingers 24 and 24A must be yieldingly constructed so that they can be pivoted to open position as shown by the dot and dash position in Figure 3.

A decorative member 41 may be used to cover the U bend in the bill fold 10 and serve the utilitarian purpose of squeezing the bill fold 10 tightly around housing 12. An adhesive may be employed to insure security of binding of the bill fold 10, bill fold clip 11 and decorative member 41 into a single unit.

The modified form of bill fold clip as shown in Figures 9 through 12 comprises a round rod provided with a reduced end 51 and a groove 52 at the juncture of the rod 50 and reduced end 51.

A sleeve 53 provided axially with an enlarged bore 54 of a diameter to snugly grip reduced end 51 has one end scalloped as at 55. Scalloped end 55 yieldingly grips groove 52. The opposite end of sleeve 53 is formed into a square block 56 having a slot 57 in a lateral direction and a notch 58 in a transverse direction.

A clamp 60 is pivotally mounted in slot 57 by means of a pin 61 secured in square block 56. Clamp 60 has two cam surfaces 62 and 63. Clamp 60 is preferably ornamental in shape having a knob 65 and a finger grip 64 for utility purposes.

A plunger 66 is provided with an outside diameter which will readily slide in sleeve 53. Plunger 66 may have a projection 67. A coil spring 68 is located in sleeve 53 between reduced end 51 and plunger 66 and may extend over projection 67.

Plunger 66 is therefore urged toward slot 57 but is limited in its movement by the base 70 in sleeve 53.

In operation cam face 62 will abut plunger 66 causing lar to groove'52. fln which ease twosleeves similar to 53 would be provided with two'spring's, two plungers and two clamps'operati-ng iIlihGjSlGCV'iO provide a two clamp bill fold grip; The clamps -would -be reduced *in size a and eontactthe-sleeve insteadof-therod.

the hinge and also providing a' decorative finish -at the V hinge.

ln case covers 73 and 74 are fabricated from a single sheet of materialga jhinge will nevertheless :be :formed to accommodate the leather or other material 80 which forms pocket 75.

Having shown and described preferred .embodiments of the present .inventioinby-way of example, but realizing that structural changes. could. bezmade and Jot-her. examples given without :departingifromeither the spirit or.scope of thisinvention; V t t Whatlclaimis:

1. ;In a billfoldofthetypehaving covers interconnected by a hingeabout twliichnaid covers may he-swungto and from open and closed position .and a spring-clamp for retaining lbills therein, .that improvement ,in .said spring clamp which comprises Jared-provided wtih .a reduced end and asgr oove, a sleeve having ,an enlarged diameter which engages said reduced end, ;a ,scalloped end ,011 said sleeve which yieldingl y engages saidgroove,a square end on said sleeve provided with a ,slot iand a notch, a clamp p vo lly m unted in ai sl ten pin secur d in :said square end, said clamp having freedom of movementin said no c -ph nger slidably mounted in said sleeve, and

' a coil spring located in said sleeve 1with-one end against said reduced end;andtthe other end yieldinglyiforcingsaid plunger against said clamp. V i

2. In a bill fold of the typehaving covers interconnected by a hinge about which said covers may be swung to and from open and closed position and a spring clamp for retaining bills therein, that improvement in said spring clamp which comprises a solid rod provided with a reduced end, a sleeve secured to said reduced end, a clamp, a square end on said sleeve provided with means to pivotally mount said clamp, 21 plunger slidably mounted in said sleeve, and resilient means interposed between'the end,

of said solid rod and plunger and located within said sleeve =to *yieldingly forcelsaid plunger against .said clamp.

3. 1n a bill-foldof the :type havingeovers interconnected by a 'hingeabout which said coversmay be swung to and from open and'closed position and a spring clamp for retaining bills therein, .that improvement in said spring clamp which comprises a rod, a sleeve, said rod coaxially projecting part way into said sleeve to be secured to said sleeve and to provide a wall within said sleeve, a clamp, means .in one endof nsaidsleeve .to tpivotally mountsaid clamp, a plungertslidably mounted'in said ,sleeve, a coil spring under tension located within said sleeve having the convolutions .on oneiend abutting said wall and the convolutions on the other end of said coil spring abutting the end of said plunger to yielding-1y :force saidplunger against theend of said clamp.

4; 'In a bill fold of ,theitype having covers interconnected having two camsurfacesand an edge engagable with the outside diameter of said rod in one position of said clamp, an enlarged end-on'said sleeve, ;-means to pivotally mount said clamp in said enlarged end, aplungerslidably mounted in said sleeve resilient means between Said rodand ,said plunger and locatedi n said sleeve acting on said plunger to yieldingly engage said plunger with one ,of'said two cam surfaces to hold said clamp in oneof two selected positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,455,515 Miller Dec. 7, 1948 2,597,967 Anderson May 27,4952 2,658,545 Weydener et a1. Nov. '10, 1953 2,686,545 Fontana Aug. '17, 1954 

